The Dead Zone (1983)
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A man awakens from a coma with psychic powers and must decide how to use his visions to change the future.
The story
After a car accident leaves him in a coma for five years, schoolteacher Johnny Smith awakens with the ability to psychically see aspects of people's lives through physical contact. While he struggles to adjust to his new reality and a physical limp, his gift becomes a burden as he begins to see tragic events and hidden truths. When a local sheriff asks for his help with a series of murders, Johnny must navigate the moral implications of his visions. He soon discovers that his visions contain a 'dead zone'—a gap where the future is not yet determined, meaning he has the power to intervene and change the course of events.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After a car accident leaves him in a coma for five years, schoolteacher Johnny Smith awakens with the ability to psychically see aspects of people's lives through physical contact. He discovers that his visions contain a 'dead zone'—a gap where the future is not yet determined, allowing him to intervene. He assists Sheriff Bannerman in solving a murder case involving a local deputy, who commits suicide before he can be arrested. Later, Johnny becomes a tutor and encounters a charismatic political candidate, Greg Stillson. After a vision of Stillson as president ordering a nuclear strike, Johnny realizes he must stop him. He confronts Stillson at a rally, and although he is shot by a bodyguard, his actions lead to Stillson's downfall and the prevention of the nuclear strike. Johnny dies in the aftermath, having made a final sacrifice.
- First release year
- 1983
- Runtime (minutes)
- 103
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- David Cronenberg
- Writers
- Jeffrey Boam · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Christopher Walken · Johnny Smith; Brooke Adams; Tom Skerritt; Herbert Lom; Anthony Zerbe; Colleen Dewhurst; Martin Sheen
- Genres
- science fiction; thriller
- Themes
- responsibility of power; sacrifice
- Tone and mood
- eerie; supernatural
- Setting
- Castle Rock, Maine and surrounding areas.
- Premise and plot tags
- psychic powers; precognition; political thriller
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1979 novel of the same title by Stephen King
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews and was praised for its direction and performances, particularly by Christopher Walken.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 89% · scale: percentage · review count: 54; Metacritic · score: 69 · scale: 100 · review count: 8
- Production trivia
- The script was revised and condensed four times by Cronenberg.; The film's premiere was pulled from the Toronto International Film Festival due to concerns over potential negative reviews.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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